Without Really Knowing You
by Ciella
Summary: Jack wants to propose to Mary, but first he asks for her father's blessing. Basil wants to know more about the man who may someday be his son-in-law than whether or not he can provide for his daughter.
1. Her Father's Blessing

Dear Readers,

There is so much mix-up over the actual default name of the MC in Friends of Mineral Town (Pete/Jack/none), I'm just sticking with the one I like (Jack). I do not mean to claim that this is his actual default name, nor do I care what his real default name is.

I hope you enjoy the story below. Thank you.

* * *

Thanks to Gotz, the farmhouse now looked enormous and bare. It contained a kitchen with no tools, a fireplace that had never been lit, a tightly-made twin-sized bed, and a table with one place-setting. The carpenter nodded his head at the fresh addition. "Looks nice, if I do say so myself."

"It does, Gotz. Thanks so much." The farmer looked so small by comparison, especially without his cap. "Let me walk you out."

They headed out into a cool, steady drizzle. Gotz headed south, stopping to pet Jack's dog, and disappeared over the footbridge. Jack took a deep breath, then hurried north off his own property, all the way on to the other side of town. Today he had no time for errands. There was somewhere he needed to be.

He knocked on the small, rounded door to Basil's house, huddling under the short archway overhead. Anna answered the door, her hair perfectly coiffed. "Jack? Is everything alright?"

"Yes, ma'am. I was hoping to speak with you and Basil, if you have the time."

Anna offered coolly, "We always have time for a visit, Jack. Come on in and dry off."

Jack held his cap tightly in his hand, quickly fixing his hair while Anna's back was turned to call her husband. He accepted a clean dish towel, self-consciously dabbing his neck and arms with it. Basil could be heard long before could be seen emerging from the stairs.

"Jack! How are things?"

"They're good, Basil, but I really was hoping to talk to you both."

Basil and and his wife looked at each other in confusion. "Is everything alright? You look a little tense."

"Well," Jack tried to laugh. "I am. But everything is fine, I promise."

"Why don't we start then? Please, take a seat. I'll put on some tea." Basil took off his cheery feathered hat, both men hanging their hats up on a rack by the door. They waited for Anna to join them to begin.

Jack briefly licked his lips. "I'm sure you've both noticed that I've made frequent visits here, and also to the library."

"We know," Anna smiled. "We had a little bet going."

"Mary's always showing us new gifts you brought her, or telling us about how you helped her with her book."

The farmer continued, "I've also been building up my property, with the hopes that I'll soon be able to support a wife, and someday, a family."

Suddenly the parents grew quiet.

Basil bit his lip. His voice fell. "I see now." He looked to his wife.

"I'm not ready to have this conversation," Anna confessed softly, looking apologetically to Jack. "I'm sorry. It's not that you aren't a good man. It's just that she's our only child..."

"Anna, I think we need to talk about this."

"I can't, I'm sorry." She rose from the table and fled upstairs.

Basil looked back to Jack with a sheepish grin. "Anna and Mary are very close. They've always been- this is going to be a difficult time for my wife, I hope you understand."

"I'm so sorry. Should I come back another day?" Jack planted his hands on the table, preparing to rise. Basil stopped him with one hand on his shoulder.

"No, please. I really want to hear what you have to say."

Basil then rose to take the tea kettle off the range. He poured two teacups, leaving plenty of hot water for Anna when she returned, and set them out for himself and Jack with milk and honey. Jack breathed in the steam along with the tea's sweet, earthy smell. He made a mental note to himself that he should really order some tea soon. Mary loved tea.

"Alright, Jack," Basil began again, gently. "Out with it."

Jack put his teacup down. "Alright then. Basil, I want to marry your daughter, and I've come for your blessing."

Basil paused. His usually cheerful face became stern. "Jack, I don't know what to say." Jack's heart fell. "My wife is right: you _are_ a good man. Or at least, we both think you are. You've got a good piece of land, and you work hard. I know you've got the potential to give Mary a comfortable life, but I really don't know anything about you. And I can't with a clear conscience give you my blessing without really knowing you."

His throat suddenly dry, Jack took a quick sip of his tea. "I'll tell you anything you want to know. I'll find a way to give you proof. I'll-"

"It's alright, Jack." Basil reached across the table to pat the younger man's hand. "Why don't you just start at the beginning?"


	2. Lenney's Gift

I was four years old when I met the old man. His name was Lenney, and he was very kind. My parents had taken me on a vacation to the countryside, rosy with joy at the news that they were expecting another child. They got so caught up at the inn, planning this and that for the baby, that I got bored, and decided to explore.

At that time, Aja was still working at the Winery- although I didn't know her then- and Saibara hadn't come to blacksmith in Mineral Town yet. So that little chunk of town that I first remember seeing barely resembled the town I know today. But just as they are now, the people in Mineral Town were friendly. I felt safe, free, and very much at home.

When I wandered into the old man's farm, I had started to get very hungry. Suddenly, I became worried that my parents wouldn't find me. (Convenient how the minds of children work, huh? I think all of our minds work that way, opportunistically. Only children are more honest.) I started to cry. The old man emerged from the farmhouse in as much confusion as concern. He found my phone number where my mom had written it on the cover of my sketchpad, called my parents at the inn, and consoled me in the meantime with the perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich, cut diagonally.

It took my parents a long time to reach Lenney's farm, but that's not how I remember it. The old man let me ride on his cows, play with his dog, and harrass his chickens in what apparently was a whole hour before my parents arrived. I know, it's embarrassing- now that I'm fully grown, I don't really want to acknowledge it.

Lenney had written down his address in my sketchpad, and asked with smiling eyes if I would write him sometime. I was so excited to have found such a friend. My father took my hand and hurried me back to the car. Lenney waved, his poofy beared obscuring much of his face. All I can say for sure is that his eyes were lonely. His dog followed me all the way to the gate.

The following spring, my little sister was born. They named her Diane. I remember being fascinated by her, inspecting the boxes of newborn diapers and smelling the top of her head. I wanted to carry her everywhere, but my parents were afraid that I wouldn't be able to support her head. When she could crane her neck around, I still couldn't feed her, or help my parents give her baths. Although I never wanted to change her.

It got worse when my parents found me peering into the crib one night. I just liked to watch her sleep. She looked so calm, so happy, so soft. But it really creeped my parents out. They said I was smothering her. So I got to do less and less with Diane as a baby.

I started kindergarten that fall. It was the beginning of a long and unsuccessful academic career for me. Although writing to Lenney made me a good writer long before the other kids could print, everything else just refused to settle neatly in my head. Reading was wasted on me. Math was painful. Math used to make me cry, which would frustrate my mother.

As my sister grew, it became obvious that she would be everything I wasn't. She was walking and talking at exceptionally young ages, and she was an alert and happy baby. My parents were certain that she would be a bright child. For the first few years of elementary school, they hired a tutor for me, but I showed little improvement. Then they got fed up.

"Your sister does her homework on her own," they would say. "You're going into middle school! You need to get it together!"

But it was different for me. Diane knew that. As a little girl, just six or seven years old, she would hold my hand after one such dinner conversation, and tell me, "It's not your fault, Jack. I think you're a great brother, even if you're not good at school."

And that's what really killed me. I wasn't a great brother. I wasn't even really a good one. Diane excelled in school, and I was jealous every time she came home with an A+. One time I went so far as to rip her quiz off the refrigerator and crumple it up. She cried and cried. Sometimes I even took her completed homework and hid it or threw it away, hoping she'd get in trouble. I know! It was awful. But she was so smart. She would complete it again the next morning when she got into school. It may have even made her smarter, doing the material over and over again.

Come high school, I had given up. I just didn't see how I could possibly catch up to my classmates. They put me in remedial classes. My parents and I fought over every grade I got. If it was bad, it was bad; If it was good, it wasn't as good as Diane's. I threatened to drop out, and even tried to run away. The police knew me by name, that's how regularly they picked me up on truancy. I often think of this one cop, Maria, saying to my mother, "He's a troubled kid, but not a bad one. I think he might be looking for some attention."

When I wrote to Lenney, he was understanding. He said that it was hard being young. He said that I deserved to be listened to and to catch a break sometimes. His words empowered me. Even if my parents didn't see things my way, I knew that I deserved to be respected. And that changed the way I did a lot of things.

The last sets of fights started over college. I didn't want to go to one. I simply refused to go through any more school. My parents were worried that I wouldn't amount to anything if I never got a degree.

"How will you make money? Do you wanna flip burgers for the rest of your life?"

No, but it wouldn't be the worst thing, would it?

My parents got sick of my attitude. I barely managed to hold on through graduation. Then I moved out. I left Diane a letter, because I wanted her to know that it wasn't her fault. I don't remember if I told her that I loved her, but I hope she knew.

At first, I crashed at a friend's place while I looked for an apartment. I worked in a supermarket and a convenience store and saved money for the security deposit on a tiny sublet. When I finally had the money together, I wrote to Lenney. He wrote back with a few thousand dollars! His letter said,

"You work so hard! Here's a little something to help you through a few months of rent and groceries. Make sure to spend a little on something fun."

I worked and saved for two or three years, switching from job to job to job. I've worked in coffee shops, as a school janitor, as a hotel receptionist, as a pizza delivery guy... you name a part-time job, I probably did it. Every few months Lenney would send me money. Sometimes he was congratulating me for working hard. Sometimes he was consoling me after I broke up with a girl or a girl broke up with me. Once he remembered Diane's birthday when I hadn't, and he was the sole reason I was able to get her a present that year.

Then one day the letters stopped. I don't know if you knew Lenney, but he didn't forget things, and he didn't procrastinate. When I mailed him a letter, I knew I would get a response in two weeks. Well, two weeks came and went. Then a month. Then two. I had last written to him as autumn was ending, and as the year was ending I decided to quit both my jobs and come and see him.

I arrived, as you remember, on the first day of spring, this year. Lenney had died as the last leaves were falling with virtually nothing to his name. Grateful though I had always been, I had come to take Lenney's life-giving gifts for granted. I never thought to myself, _hey- where's a man as old as Lenney getting all this cash?_

The first thing I did was peek into the barn to see the old dairy cows I remembered riding. Every stall was stripped bare. No cows. No straw. No manure. Livestock hadn't lived in that barn for a long time. I raced to the chicken coop. The story was the same. I ransacked the old farmhouse, eventually finding a shoebox full of receipts from Barley's under a loose board next to the foot of the bed. Each was from the sale of a different animal, and each date and figure corresponded to a letter and a gift that Lenney had sent. When I took out my old letters, rumpled and frequently reread, I started to cry.


	3. Staying the Night

Jack rubbed his eyes and nodded. "And that's why I'm here now."

The two men fell silent for a few moments, digesting Jack's journey into adulthood. Basil sipped his tea pensively. "Do you still have ties to your family?"

"I still write to Diane. Actually, I feel pretty guilty that I can't be there for her now. She turned 16 this year."

"What about your parents?"

"She says they miss me, but when I've gone to their house to see Diane, I never feel welcome."

"I see." Basil paused with his chin on his fist. "Would you say you respected your parents?"

Jack lowered his head. "I tried, but I got no respect from them. It was hard to keep respecting them and be myself." The farmer finished his tea, his throat still dry. Basil looked with warm brown eyes on the younger man, and offered comfortingly,

"Don't worry, Jack. I'm not making any absolute judgements here."

"Oh!" Jack sighed in relief. "So what do you think?"

"I think you're trip here was a rough one!" Basil laughed, returning to his normal, jovial state. "I really appreciate you telling me about yourself, but at the end of your story, I realize that it tells me so little about who you are now. And that's really what I want to know."

Jack swallowed hard. "How can I show you?"

"I'd really like you to spend a day with me and my family one Monday, when the library is closed."

"I can do that."

"Good! How's next week?" Basil rose, and Jack followed suit.

"Fine by me, sir."

The two men shook hands, retrieved their hats, and said their goodbyes. Jack asked Basil to thank Anna for the tea, and disappeared behind the small, rounded door.

Later that evening, around six o'clock, Jack was harvesting some sweet potatoes when he heard someone open his gate. "Jack?" A woman's voice: low, smooth and sweet.

He turned around to find Mary. "Hey. What's up?" The young librarian came trotting over, her eyes bright behind her glasses.

"I heard you had a serious conversation with my father."

"I did."

"How'd it go?" Her hands clutched her blue frock, and she swayed back and forth slightly.

"I think it went well. Your father asked me to come hang out with you guys next Monday."

Mary smiled. "My mom came rushing into the library after you were gone. Supposedly my father told her not to tell me, but she's terrible at keeping secrets from me."

"I know." He brushed her black bangs aside and kissed her forehead. "I knew I had to ask your parents first, because the rest of the town would know immediately."

"You're catching on to small town life!"

Jack laughed. "Finally! Well, I'm almost done here. Why don't you make yourself comfortable inside? I haven't eaten yet, I don't know about you."

"My mom made a casserole." She grimaced, which made Jack grin. Mary blushed and headed inside. "I'll get something started then!"

"That's not necessary!" Jack called, but the door was already closed. He tossed the sweet potatoes into the shipment bin as quickly as he could, saving a basketful for himself. He then followed Mary inside. "I have no kitchen tools yet, but I can make rice!"

Mary laughed. "Hey, you can already cook better than Karen."

Together, they mixed up a little bowl of mushroom rice, and Mary retrieved a bottle of white wine from the refrigerator. They sat down next to each other, their ankles intertwined as they ate.

Jack paused with a forkful still in the air. "Did I make the right choice? Should I have asked you first?"

"I think you did the right thing," Mary said, covering her mouth while she ate. "My parents are going to be our only family. We need them to be on our side."

"Right. But I was thinking, are you comfortable with me- courting you, I guess?"

Mary squeezed his hand. "Well, I'm happy, and flattered. But I was a little worried."

"Really?" Jack's forehead creased like bad origami.

"Not because I don't want to be with you- because I wonder if it isn't too soon."

Jack nodded, taking small bites of mushroom rice. "I was wondering that, too."

"So why did you ask today?" She looked up at him, Basil's warm, dark eyes in her moon-like face. Jack had to look away.

"I was afraid that if I didn't take the chance, someone else would."

"Jack, I told you a long time ago: Gray is way too invested in blacksmithing to come and court me. I liked him months ago."

"I know," he sighed. "And I'm sorry for being jealous."

Mary kissed his cheek, murmuring, "It's alright."

The lovers finished their meal quietly, with Jack insisting on doing the dishes. Mary turned on Dueling Chefs, both of their favorite show, and helped him slowly drain the entire bottle of wine. He dried his hands and joined her in front of the tv.

"_I'm your host, Alyson, in this week's culinary battle of the giants!_"

Mary scooted over into Jack's lap, where he could fold his arms over her and hold her close.

"You know what I love about you?" She asked.

"What's that?"

"That I can come over here, unannounced, and know that you'll treat me with so much hospitality and respect."

Jack smiled, his chin in her hair. "Of course, my love. I want you to always feel safe here. Who knows? Maybe someday soon, you'll call this place home."

Mary sighed contentedly. "Hopefully! Oh- Jack, what time is it?"

"Uh... about eight. When do you need to be home?"

"_Now let's have a taste test to determine the winner!_"

The librarian lowered the volume on the tv, then turned around and kissed her lover. "I'd love to stay the night, but if I did, I don't think we'd be able to wait until we get married."

"Is that important to you?" Jack asked, cocking his head.

"No, but I thought men wanted virgin brides."

Jack waggled his head with a smile. "I think a lot of men like being their wife's first and only, but I don't know if it matters so much that the first time is their wedding night. The real question is, would you parents have a problem with it?"

"My father and I talked about sex a long time ago- we agreed that I would make the decisions about my own body."

"That's really cool." Jack snickered to himself, "How did someone has quiet and shy as you wind up getting the sex talk at an early age?"

"Well, I came to talk to him about _Wuthering Heights_, among other novels," the petite librarian flushed with a sheepish smile, holding her pale hand like a fan. "I loved the passion in them, but I found them hard to understand because I didn't know what sex was. See the segway into that conversation now?"

Jack laughed, his back against the bed. Mary laid over him, holding him tightly, and took off her glasses. "Mary?"

"Hm?" she sighed, as he started running his fingers through her long, black hair.

"You know I love you, right?"

"I know, Jack. I love you, too."

The two lovers ultimately fell asleep on the floor without making love. Jack's alarm went off at six in the morning, jolting them both awake with mild hangovers. They righted themselves and hurried in their own directions long before most of the townsfolk were awake enough to spread rumors.


	4. Walk of Confusion

One person was awake, out and about, early enough to see Mary leaving Jack's farm. That person was Lillia, who liked to watch the sunrise from the chickenyard. She saw the young woman scurrying, her frock clearly from the day before, her glasses slightly askew. And Lillia thought to herself, _Ah, the adventures of young love!_

Lillia returned inside after the sunrise to make breakfast, only to see Popuri had beaten her to it. "Morning, Mom!"

"Good morning, honey." She looked over the pan of scrambled eggs and decided to put some bread in the toaster. "Why are you up so early?"

"Oh, I couldn't sleep, I guess. What about you?"

"The usual," Lillia smiled cryptically. She went on politely, "I saw Mary out running an errand for Jack. It must be tough getting everyone's books delivered before the library opens."

Popuri rolled her eyes. "Mom, Mary doesn't make deliveries. She sits in that silly little tower all day and reads."

"I see nothing wrong with that," Lillia mused. "Would you mind putting on some tea, dear?"

"You got it, Mom." Popuri pouted to herself. Jack frequently visited the farm to help them out, and she had occasionally daydreamed of dating Jack instead of Kai. For one, Rick admired Jack, and having a boyfriend that her brother didn't hate would make her life considerably easier. Two, after seeing Kai for so many years, doubts were beginning to trickle into Popuri's heart that he would ever ask her to marry him. He was just too in love with his own freedom.

Meanwhile, Lillia turned on the weather channel. "Oh!"

"Everything ok, Mom?"

"It looks like the weather will be pretty awful for a few days." Lillia frowned, a rare occurrence. "Honey, wake your brother. Have him give the coop a deep cleaning. The hens may have to be in there for a couple days."

Popuri did as she was told- although Rick could stand to be more of a morning person- and returned to her mother. "Anything you want me to take care of?"

"I don't think so, dear. I'm going to run out and get some groceries in case it gets too bad to go out, but I think that's all we'll really need."

Popuri sighed heavily. "Mom, why don't you trust me like you trust Rick?"

"Honey, I trust you more than you know. There just isn't that much that needs doing. Why don't you see if someone else needs help?"

Popuri started with Rick, who told her that the coop wasn't big enough to need a second person to clean it effectively. She then visited Barley, who had brought in his cows the night before. She then decided to visit Jack. His property was enormous. Surely he couldn't turn her town.

When Jack saw the pink-haired young woman approach, he had just finished caring for the animals in the pasture.

"Hey, Jack!"

"Hey, um, I'm sorry Popuri, but I don't have time to show you around the farm today. There's gonna be a pretty big storm blowing through here for a couple days, and I gotta get ready."

"I'm not here to be shown around!" She beamed. "I'm here to help!"

Jack froze. "That's really not necessary..."

"Oh, please, I insist!"

"Alright." The young man sighed inwardly. "Well, you're good with chickens, but they're going to graze for a couple more hours before I bring them in. You could help me stock their coop with extra feed."

"Ok!" She seemed pleased with herself as they headed towards the chicken pen together. "So how've things been, barring the storm?"

"Pretty well. I've reinvested much of my profits into larger infrustructure, so I'm hoping to make bigger returns."

Popuri looked up at him with vapid eyes. Jack blinked. He preferred smart women.

"What about you, Popuri?"

"Oh, not much." Her face fell. "I haven't heard from Kai for a little while now."

They hopped the short stone fence into the chicken pen, gathering eggs and scattering a treat mix of flax, corn, and wheatberries. Jack stalled for as long as he could. "What do you think is going on?"

"Honestly? I think he's getting bored with me."

"Oh." Now deeply uncomfortable, Jack bit the bullet and asked again. "So what'll you do now?"

Popuri put on a brave face, and rose, gathering the last egg. "Move on, as best I can."

"Well, that's really mature of you," Jack offered, in genuine suprise. "Just let me know if you ever need a friend."

The pink-haired girl bit her tongue. "That's so nice of you, Jack. But I've heard you've had much better luck recently. I'm really happy for you."

"Really?" Jack led her into the coop, his eyes narrow. He grabbed the broom while she shipped the eggs.

"Oh, yeah. Mary told me."

"Oh. I didn't realize you two were friends."

"Well, you know, sometimes the girls in town get together at each other's houses. Last time we were at the Inn, and Mary was just tickled!"

Jack broke out in a sweat while sweeping the floor. "I didn't realize she had told all the girls. That must mean pretty much everyone knows."

"Look, it's not such a bad thing. Most of us do it early," Popuri suggested sweetly.

Jack turned to her. "But none of you are..."

Popuri's eyes grew wide again. "Are what, Jack?"

He shrugged. "Would you mind helping me load the other feed bins?"

"Not at all." Popuri's long forehead furrowed. What was it that she and the other girls weren't? She needed to know. Even if she never dated Jack, she needed to know what made Mary, the plain Jane of Mineral Town, so much better than her.

Popuri was quite a mess by the time she left the farm around ten. As she passed by, Gray was just unlocking the door to his grandfather's workshop. "Somebody had a rough night," he mumbled under his breath.

"Excuse me?" She huffed. Gray glanced over his shoulder under his hat.

"Nothing."

Popuri took a deep breath and shook her head. She needed to go home and shower before she could even think of helping someone else.


	5. Interpretations

Gray was working on mundane tasks that Wednesday before the storm, mostly repetitive, skill-based things like sharpening tools. It gave his mind time to wander. The last time he tried to sharpen anything, he was pretty green and cut himself. That was the last time he saw Mary. She had bandaged the cut for him, fluttering with endearing concern, and he had swooned inside.

But then he thought about all the trips to the library, where he'd intended to talk to Mary. He usually felt shy at the last minute and buried himself in a useful book. That way he could justify to Mary, his grandpa, and himself that he was in the library for a reason everyday. Gray's hand slipped, and he nearly cut off a finger.

"Watch it!" Saibara snapped, hammering some red-hot metal on the forge.

Gray adjusted his grip and started again. He so rarely talked to Mary that she became accustomed to him being around without really thinking about him. He wanted to give her gifts, but that was even more stressful for him. When Jack visited her, he made it look easy; he'd walk right up to Mary, chat about her book with her, make her laugh, and leave her with some pleasant suprise. The strawberry-blonde fumed quietly to himself. Mary fell for Jack quickly.

But then, what was Popuri doing, coming from the farm at mid-morning all rumpled? Gray put the sharpened tool aside and got started grinding away at another one. His heart started pounding in his ears. Was Jack sleeping around? He wouldn't let it happen, not to someone like Mary. Maybe he wasn't brave enough to claim her for himself, but he couldn't let some asshole cheat on her.

What to do? Approaching Mary clearly wasn't his strong suit, and it would break her heart. Obviously Jack would deny it. Popuri would be slandered as "the other woman" when she already had a boyfriend herself. Gray didn't like the situation he found himself in.

"Gramps, I need a break. I'll see you in a bit," he called over his shoulder. Saibara grunted in acknowledgement.

Gray headed to the Inn. He ordered a slice of apple pie and some water and plunked down at the first table he saw. Then he picked and pushed the soft, spiced apple pieces around until the door opened again.

The vagabond was unmistakeable. Cliff always looked so haggard, even with a day job. But now that his spirits were up, he made a decent companion for Gray. They often stayed in the men's side on the Inn's second floor together.

"Hey, Gray. Ooh, got the apple pie I see! Looks good."

The apprentice grunted. "Yeah, but I don't want it anymore. Do you?"

"Hell, if you're offering." Cliff was happy to oblige. "So, what's up with the face?"

"You ever find yourself in a situation, and you have no idea how you got caught up in it, because you literally had nothing to do with it?"

Cliff gulped down some water. "Already lost me. We gotta find someplace to talk." He waved to Doug, who stood behind the bar polishing glasses. "Thanks for the pie, Doug. Absolutely delicious, as always."

The innkeeper smiled warmly. He loved people who could really eat!

The two young men headed up the stairs to their usual room and sat on the bed Cliff on which typically slept. "So what did you find yourself in, anyway?"

Gray flopped back on the bed with a groan. "You know I like Mary, right?"

This caused Cliff to groan in turn. "Oh please, not this again..."

"Shut up. It's not about me this time."

"Oh! Ok, go on."

The apprentice rolled his eyes, tucking his hands under his head. "Jack swooped in and picked up Mary before I had a chance, but she seems happy."

"Yeah," Cliff nodded somberly. "I'm sorry, man. But I'd have to agree."

"I know. It sucks, but I can't deny it. Anyway, you won't believe what I saw this morning."

"Oh?"

"Somebody was making a litte walk of shame."

Cliff raised his eyebrows. "Wow! Hey, good for her. I didn't think she had it in her."

"What the hell does that mean? Anyway, no, it wasn't Mary."

Cliff stared blankly at Gray. "Oh, fuck."

"That's right."

"Who was it?"

"Popuri."

Cliff's mouth hung open. "You're shitting me."

"Nope."

"Come on, Gray."

"Seriously, that's what I saw."

Cliff waggled his head, obviously in disbelief. "How do we know that's what she was doing though? I mean..."

At this point, Gray sat up suddenly. He looked Cliff in the eyes, which tended to intimidate people for some reason. "Dude. You know what a priss Popuri is. Her hair was all mussed. Her dress looked like it had been thrown on the floor- all wrinkled, with a little dust in the creases..."

The two froze, hearing the stairs creak. No one had been upstairs before them, meaning that someone could only be coming up now. They heard Ann humming to herself, and the familiar slosh of her mop and bucket.

The conversation continued in a whisper. "We should be fine. She gets so into cleaning sometimes that she's totally out of it."

Gray nodded. "So anyway, now you see my problem. I can't just stand by, but I don't know how to help."

Over in the next room, Ann mopped and hummed a Shirley Temple song she had loved as a little girl, _I want a hippopotamus for Christmas_. She also possessed what she liked to call a "cocktail ear." She likened it to being at a party and listening to multiple conversations at once to seek out the most interesting one. Just as Ann set down her bucket of hot water and vinegar, her cocktail ear was intrigued by nervous, secretive whispering. She kept humming, even though it hindered her ability to hear a little. This way they wouldn't suspect anything.

"I'm not sure it's your place," she heard Cliff murmur. "I mean, it's between Popuri and Jack." _What was?_

"But it's not, though. What about Mary?" _What about Mary?_

"I think it's best to stay out of it, Gray." Ann could clearly make out Cliff's voice past that, but she couldn't tell exactly what he said. All she knew was that Gray's voice suddenly rose in anger.

"But what about Mary? Doesn't she deserve to know?" It was getting so good that Ann forgot to hum. Whether or not Gray realized that the background noise had stopped, he corrected himself. "I'm sorry, Cliff. I didn't mean to get riled up."

"It's ok. I know how you feel about her."

The two friends went on to talk about how they'd be there for each other no matter how things turned out, and Ann got bored. So she went back to mopping. Except this time she was humming _Animal Crackers_.


	6. What?

The storm came Wednesday night, and pelted Mineral Town with heavy rains until Friday afternoon. Many of the residents slept in turns with the people they lived with, afraid that their basements would flood and ruin their supplies of food for the winter. Jack, at least, had to go out into the downpour a few times because the river overflowed its banks. He raised the platform in the water mill's silo, to keep the chicken feed high and dry, and moved the chickens into the barn. They weren't happy about it, but it was fortunate that he did, as the coop eventually flooded three or four feet deep.

Jack spent that Saturday convincing Gotz to come and help him salvage the chicken coop from damage, which took a nasty bite out of Jack's savings and lumber stores. But then he finally emerged again on the streets of Mineral Town, making a beeline for the Poultry Farm to get some advice from Lillia.

The little bell on the door rang when Jack opened it. "Hey, how are you guys? I know it's a little early, but-"

Rick came straight for him, sleeves rolled up past his elbow. "Mom and Popuri are tending to the chickens. You and I need to talk."

"O-okay..."

"I already have to deal with Popuri's no-good boyfriend. I don't wanna deal with another one."

Jack turned his head and laughed sarcastically, "Ha, good one, Rick. Very funny."

"Seriously!" Rick planted a hand on Jack's shoulder and shoved him into the door, making the bell ring again. "I don't need anybody else fucking around with my sister!"

The farmer put up his hands in surrender. "Rick, I swear, I'm not. What are you even talking about?"

Rick took a hasty step back, glaring at his neighbor. "What do you mean? It's all over town."

"What is, Rick? You're not making any sense."

"I heard that you've got a thing for Popuri, and you've been egging her on behind Mary's back."

"Rick, that's ridiculous."

"Why?" He snarled, clearly offended.

"Because I wouldn't do something like that!"

"Then why is everyone saying the same things I am?"

Jack shrugged his shoulders dramatically, "I don't know, because this town is crazy small? Because there was just a huge storm and a lot of people were bored and stressed out?"

Rick looked unconvinced. "Look. I don't care if it's true or not. Don't fuck with my sister. Ok?"

"Sure. You got it. Whatever." Jack rolled his eyes and left. He headed for the library next, afraid that Mary would have caught wind of this ridiculous gossip and gotten worried.

From the chicken yard, Popuri and Lillia could see Jack leaving in a huff. "That's not like him," Lillia thought aloud. "I wonder what happened?"

Mother and daughter headed inside, where Rick was still pacing angrily. "Big brother, you ok?"

"I just told Jack off," Rick bragged, crossing his arms.

"For what?"

"For chasing after my sister!"

Lillia clucked her tongue. "Rick, you can't chase off every young man Popuri talks to!"

"But Mom, I'm not talking to Jack..." Popuri flushed.

"Either way, Popuri, it's not your brother's job. You say 'yes' or 'no' to whomever you please, and then, if there's a problem, your family is here to help you. Isn't that right, Rick?"

"Yes, Mom," he sighed.

"Mom, are we done with the chickens? I wanted to fix my makeup before I go out later."

"Yes, honey. Thanks for your help." Lillia waited until Popuri was up the stairs. She then crossed her arms and further scrutinized her son. "What's this really about, Rick?"

"There's this rumor going around..."

"Oh?"

"That Popuri was seen leaving Jack's ranch the morning after." Rick cringed to say such things about his own sister- to their mom.

Lillia shook her head repeatedly. She composed herself and started fresh. "Rick, did you ask Popuri and Jack about this rumor?"

"Sort of..."

"And what did they say?"

"Popuri denied that she was talking to Jack, and Jack wouldn't talk about it."

"Well then, if they're so busy denying it, why are you so busy believing it?"


	7. An Important Realization

That following Monday, Jack bathed first thing in the morning. He gave himself a close shave and patted on his favorite aftershave. He did that weird grin people do in the mirror when they're checking their teeth, and decided to floss. Then he put on his dress clothes, ironed the night before, and fixed his hair.

It was a rare thing for him, but Jack had the sprites helping him with all the farm tasks for that day. He was already sweating bullets, and he knew that any amount of watering would give him pit stains. Besides, if he so much as stepped inside the barn, he would smell like sheep all day (as he often did).

"I can do this," he mumbled to himself, throwing together a quick gift basket of apples and mushrooms for Anna and Basil, with a truffle for Mary.

He hurried on to the Inn, where he was supposed to meet Mary and her parents. Basil greeted him at the door. "Hey, good morning!" The jovial botanist had already hung up his hat, and offered to take Jack's.

"Good morning," Jack grinned bravely. "I'm sorry you all had to wait for me. I was getting a few presents together."

"Ooh, presents!" Anna cried happily. "Are these apples fresh? That's just what I needed!"

Mary flushed when Jack presented her with her truffle. "Thank you," she muttered, without looking at him."

Oh no, Jack thought to himself.

They all got settled in their chairs, and Ann came by cheerfully to take their orders. Anna was whispering to her daughter, who whispered briefly back, while Basil made smalltalk wth Jack. Their orders arrive in no time, along with complementary platters of rice, miso soup, and hot tea. Conversation then gave way to quiet eating.

Basil rose from the table. "God, I'm so full! I'm gonna get the check, and then we'll head off on our hike."

"Uh, sir!" Jack shot up. "Please, let me."

"That's alright, Jack."

"Please, I insist."

Basil smiled. "Well, if you insist." He looked over at his daughter while Jack was paying. "You alright, sweetheart?"

Mary nodded, her chin on her chest.

"Anything you wanna talk about before we go out?" Her mother chimed in.

"No, no, I'm really ok."

Anna took a deep breath, saying in a low voice. "I heard the rumor, too."

"You did?" Mary looked up with glassy eyes.

Her father blinked. "What rumor?"

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart. You were studying a new species of poisonous mushrooms that day."

"And it was absolutely fascinating," Basil declared, with not a trace of regret. "But what's the rumor?"

Anna smiled. "Trust me, Basil, it wouldn't interest you in the least."

Jack returned with a receipt, and the four of them set off for Mother's Hill. They cut through Jack's property, where Jack was afraid they would see the sprites working hard. He would wave inconspicuously when a sprite called out to him, but none of his prospective in-laws so much as batted at eye.

As soon as they crossed the footbridge into the woods, Basil began narrating the ecosystem around them, and quickly became lost in his own lecture. Anna held his hand and listened patiently. The two parents quickly outpaced the young lovers, who allowed themselves to fall behind near the entrance to the hot spring.

Mary took off her glass to wipe them. "I take it you've heard the rumor, then?" She asked, rather coldly.

"Yes, but they're just only true in some creative person's imagination."

"How do I know that?"

The wind rustled through the trees, causing a few dozen red, orange, and brown leaves to fall. "Because you know I wouldn't do something like that."

"But that's just it, Jack. I don't."

Jack's mouth hung open. "What you really mean is that you don't trust me."

"I want to!" The pale, round-faced woman insisted. Jack's heart sank in his chest. She was the picture of beauty in traditional Japan. "But I don't even really know you, Jack. You moved here seven or eight months ago. You've come to see me more or less every day. You've helped me. And you've brought me things I like."

"But-"

"But that does _not_ mean I know you!" She went on, clearly frustrated. Her face was rapidly turning an angry pink in her cheeks. "I don't know who you are at home, or around town, or even as soon as you leave my library!"

Jack flared up to defend himself. "But then how could you possibly know that I would cheat on you? If you don't know that I'm innocent, how can you possibly know that I'm guitly?"

"I don't." Mary sighed, crossing her arms defensively. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok." He patted her shoulder. When she didn't pull away, he let his hand linger there, and eventually pulled her into a hug. "We'll figure this out, my love."

They didn't want to fall too far behind her parents, so they hurried along and caught up with them on the mountain bridge. Anna, unsurprisingly, was the first to notice.

"Ah, there you are. Were you able to work things out?"

Basil finally stopped talking long enough to breathe. "Work what out?"

The young lovers exchanged glances, trying to gauge how much to tell her father. Mary gave a quick nod, urging Jack to try and explain. "Just that we realized that we really don't know each other well enough to get married just yet."

"Oh." Her father sighed, disappointed and puzzled. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that, but I'm glad you've figured something that serious out now."

"But sir, please don't think I want to take back my proposal."

"We don't want to give up," Mary agreed, "we just know it's too soon."

Anna piped up here. "Maybe, maybe not. It sounds like you two just need to get to know each other better. And the best way to do that is to spend more time together."

Basil agreed, holding his chin. "To know what it's like to be married someone, you should try to see what they're like at all different times of the day and all different situations. That's how you see the best and the worst of a person."

"I don't know how much you guys will like this idea," Jack mused, "but the easiest way for us to do that would be to try living together or a little while.

Anna immediately looked skittish. Mary moving in with a boy would mean, after all, that her daughter was fully grown, and Anna just wasn't entirely ready to accept that. "Well, I suppose... Basil, what do you think?"

Her husband seemed a little conflicted, but significantly less so. "I think that if Mary's comfortable with it, it sounds like a pretty good idea."

Mary looked between her parents, then looked at Jack. "If it's ok with you guys, I'd like to try it."

"Ok then," Basil nodded. "Then we'll help you move in."

Jack was so relieved to have this whole mess behind him. "Thank you both. I'm so flattered that you all trust me so much."

Anna finally cashed in on her thoughts. "Of course we trust you, Jack. But first and foremost, we're Mary's parents, and we want to see her safe and happy. Please, don't ever give us reason to suspect she's anything else because of you."


	8. Bittersweet Milestone

The following day harbored the most beautiful weather of the autumn season. It was cool, bright, and clear, with a playful wind weaving its way under every light jacket and scarf. The apple tree, all gnarly and dark gray, had finally grown in its golden mane, and was approaching its peak harvest. Jack didn't really want to sell the apples. He loved apples. He wanted to make jam, and pie, and juice, and sauce...

Jack paused on his ladder to study a particularly beautiful apple. It looked like a Golden Delicious, but its skin had a greenish hue, and looked bigger than he could remember most apples being. He decided to take a bite. Powerfully sweet, but tangy, too. It could only be a Mutsu, he decided, which made a great deal of sense to him: you could keep a Mutsu for three months or longer, meaning you could have fruit all winter long, even on a farm.

"Eating on the job, I see!" Basil called, nearly spooking Jack off the ladder.

"Can you blame me?" He hurried down, leaving the bitten apple on a step of the ladder. "Is this everything?" He asked, surprise evident in his voice if not in his face.

Mary shrugged behind the box she was holding. Basil was pulling an old kiddy wagon, probably one they pulled Mary in as a very young child. It held three more boxes. "I'm not moving out of my parents' house for good, but all I really needed was clothes and a few personal things. Everything else that I love will stay at the library."

Jack grinned, trying not to blush in front of her father. He loved her passion for books, and he found it cute when she talked about the library so endearingly. "Then this should be pretty easy. Can I help you get settled?"

They followed him inside, with Basil leaving the wagon at the door. "Wow," Basil murmured allowed. "Jack, your house is huge!"

"Oh, thanks, Basil. But I just got lucky. The house was already here, and that's the only reason why I had the means to build it up."

People in Mineral Town didn't keep large wardrobes. They usually had a few pairs of work clothes and then they had a dress pair for festivals. So Mary's box of clothes fit easily into the drawer nearer the tv, and her dress clothes were hung in the bottom compartment of the shelves alongside Jack's. Together they unloaded the wagon into the space between the shelves and the clock, piling them one on top of the other.

Just as Mary was about to open the topmost box, she turned to Jack, saying, "Promise me you won't make fun?"

"I promise."

The first box was full of teas and special tea equipment- a beautiful china teapot and its family of delicate china teacups, all finely boned white porcelain with faint, cornflower blue designs on them. "Look closely," Mary said. "Can you recognize them?"

"No. What am I looking at?"

The beautiful small designs were often people frozen in the middle of a scene. It made Jack smirk. Normally teasets were designed with flowers or some such pretty, natural motif. These were embued with the scenes of famous Victorian novels. "This is my favorite one," Mary told him, holding up one such teacup to the light. "This is the one where Jane Eyre is sitting with Mr. Rochester beneath the lattice. See on the other side? The lightening is striking the tree."

They carefully unloaded the beautiful china into the shelves, then Jack waited with aroused curiousity for the next box. Mary laughed sweetly. "That box is nothing special, Jack." She opened it, taking out a few boxes of different feminine products, a box of ginger and honey tea, and a box of condoms.

Jack froze, realizing that Basil was still around. Fortunately, the ever-distractable naturalist was having too much fun poking around Jack's fireplace. He asked in a low voice, hoping her father wouldn't here, "They were comfortable with you bringing condoms?"

"They lived together for a little while before they were married, too. They remember what they were like," she said smartly, with a smile. "Did you say that your bed has storage drawers, too?"

"Yup." He pulled one out for her. "Looking for a private place?"

Mary nodded. "Some people in town are really nosy, which I don't like. I'll leave it at that for now."

"I see."

Mary called for her father's attention. "OK, Dad, I'm good for now. Thanks for your help."

"Are you sure, sweetheart? There are still boxes left."

"The rest of it is private, Dad."

Her father detached himself from the fireplace at last, and came to give his daughter a hug and a kiss. "Then you should be all set, then. Feel free to come home for anything you might need. It's still your home, and it will be for as long as your mother and I live there."

"Thanks, Dad."

Basil cleared his throat and turned to Jack. He gave the young farmer a firm handshake, and merely said. "Be good to my daughter, Jack."

"I will, sir."

"I'll see you both around, then." Basil headed out, took hold of the wagon's handle, and closed the front door behind him. The window had been left open to air out the house on such a beautiful day, and they could just make out the sniffle of a man whose daughter had just moved out.

Mary looked sadly after her father. "I know they're just across town," she said quietly. "But I feel so homesick right now."

Jack nodded. "I understand completely."

"Did you feel this way when you first moved to Mineral Town?"

"Yup. Except I didn't understand it, because I wasn't nearly as close to my parents."

"It must have been awful." Mary looked around at the fully upgraded farmhouse, the very image of success in such a small town. "You know, you deserve more credit. I can't imagine doing what you've done all alone."

"Thanks, my love."

The young woman started fiddling with her braid. "I've got time to finish unpacking before I leave for the library. Would you mind if I did that alone?"

"Not at all. This is your home too, now."

Jack would've loved to stop and give her a hug, since she seemed to need one, but something in her body language told him to give her space. It was important, anyway, for her to get comfortable in the farmhouse on her own. He went outside to finish that apple he had bitten, when he noticed his dog waiting at the door.

Her name was Minnie, and she was not an indoor dog. She was a mutt of somewhere between 40 and 60 pounds, with floppy ears, a cropped tail, and a short coat. A small bite was missing from her left ear, and it didn't seem that her tail had been cropped at birth. Her eyes were two different colors, one blue, one brown. But it was not an opinion, it was sheer fact: Minnie was an awesome dog. She bullied wild dogs twice her size, but carried stray chickens gently in her maw. She liked to dig up and kill the moles ruining Jack's root crops. She would jump in the river in the middle of a fishing trip to save the floater. And Jack's favorite, she would sleep next to the horse at night, so he wouldn't be alone.

Minnie started pawing at the door until Mary let her in. Jack saw Minnie's stump wagging away. The mutt rubbed her torso up against Mary's legs until Mary agreed to pet her. The young women bent down to stratch Minnie behind the ears, leaving her vulnerable for her tears to be licked away.

Soon Mary was laughing, and Minnie calmed down. But they stayed together in the house until it was time for Mary to go to work.

* * *

For all of you saying to yourselves, "But in the game, the apples are red!" Yes, they are. But I don't care. This story is set so that Mineral Town is in Japan, and I wanted the tree to be of Japanese origins. The strains of Japanese apples bearing red fruit, such as the Akane and varieties of Fuji, are not quite as versatile (i.e. having the structure and tanginess for cooking and the sweetness for eating raw) and do not keep as long as the Mutsu. Thank you. The end.


	9. Just Between Mothers

Fall was rapidly ending, and most of Mineral Town was busy stocking up on food for the winter. The villagers who didn't live on farms harvested every last bit of their gardens and lay them fallow. Anybody who kept a hen or two in the backyard for eggs was insulating their coops, and everyone with a fireplace was either spending a lot of time or a lot of money gathering firewood.

The wives of Rose Square nearly didn't get a chance to meet. They barely did, later than usual, around 8pm in the backroom of the Supermarket. It was the only time they could all meet up. Anna was the last to arrive. Her friends offered her a cup of hot chocolate- their favorite, spiked with a little peppermint Schnapps- and she settled in beside them with cheeks pink from the chill.

"God, what a day!" the elegant lady exclaimed, smoothing her skirt.

Sasha couldn't respond right away, because she had a hairpin in her mouth while she fixed her bun. "What happened?"

"I was canning all day! One of my jars exploded, then I realized that I couldn't pickle so many things because I was out of dill, then I was showing Mary how to can..."

"Oh, right," Manna interrupted, "you daughter had to do these things for her own husband now!"

"Oh, Jack and Mary aren't married."

"We know," said Sasha.

"No we don't!" Manna raised her eyebrows. "Anna, you didn't _really_ send your daughter to live with a man out of wedlock!"

Anna raised her shoulders. "They knew they weren't ready to be married. They said they didn't know each other well enough. And there's really only one way to know that you know each other well enough. More importantly, I really don't want to talk about this."

Manna stirred her spiked cocoa, adding a dollop of whipped cream. "Anna..."

Sasha squeezed Manna's shoulder. "That's quite enough, dear."

Manna sighed. "What about Karen? I haven't seen her out and about recently."

"You know, I'm really worried about her. She hasn't been herself, and she won't talk about it." Sasha looked between her friends at the table. "Swear you won't tell anyone."

"We promise."

"Of course."

Sasha made sure the door to the backroom was locked, then took a seat between her friends. "I think Karen's pregnant."

"No!"

"What signs do you see?"

"Because she drinks so much, I didn't think much of it when she was acting hungover: you know, the headaches, being repulsed by the smells of food, occasionally vomiting."

"But it's constant?"

"Yes. About a week ago, she was nauseated by the smell of red wine. I thought to myself, 'Whoa! That's really unlike my daughter.' Then I noticed that she wasn't going to the bar at all anymore. She was turning in early, abstaining, and still throwing up first thing in the morning... as well as at other times of day."

Anna twirled a lock of hair around her finger. "Unless she's got the stomach virus, that sounds like some awful morning sickness."

"See, I thought that, too. So to eliminate any doubt, I gave her the old remedy I used when I had morning sickness from carrying her."

"And?"

"It worked." Sasha looked blankly at her friends. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised. We all know who the father is."

Sasha and Anna laughed. "That's right, and we all know your grandchild will be adorable no matter what."

"You two are laughable," Manna said to herself. "Your unmarried daughters are fooling around with men, and here you are making light of the situation."

"Excuse me?" Anna shot back coldly. "Your daughter could be doing absolutely anything right now. She ran away from home to get away from _you_. Who are you to tell us how to raise our daughters?"

Manna sat there in shock. Sasha looked over at her tentatively. "You alright, dear?"

"I... I have to go." And the third woman hurried to unlock the door and leave, without so much as saying goodbye to Jeff.

Anna tossed her head, fluffing her hair from beneath with one hand. "What do you think, Sasha, was I being too harsh?"

"Well, if you were, I was about to be. I was thinking the exact same thing."

"How do you think Aja is doing nowadays anyway?"

"I don't know. Nobody does. I think that's why it bothers Manna so much. And I think that in turn is exactly the reason Aja left."

Anna sipped her spiked cocoa, relishing how it warmed her very core. "I guess you're right. I'll just apologize to Manna tomorrow, and hopefully she'll let the judgement rest. Does Karen know that you think she's pregnant?"

"I think she might suspect it. She tries to act normal when I'm around, but she's always been able to get her way with Jeff. Then Jeff tells me about it."

"And how do you feel about it."

Sasha shrugged nonchalantly. "How would you feel if Mary told you tomorrow that she's pregnant? I feel everything: excitement, fear, joy, concern..."

"That pretty much runs the gamut. I'm just not ready!"

"Ready? What's there to be ready for, dear?" Sasha put an arm around her friend's shoulders. "Our children are falling in love and starting new families together. They're happy. We've succeeded!"


	10. School Days

During Mary's first week at the farmhouse, Jack slept on the floor, as the Big Bed had yet to be delivered (He compensated for his stiff back by spending extra time in the hot spring). Mary was doing some of the most important work, food preservation, while Jack harvested the last out-of-ground crops. The yams would actually store better in the ground than they would in the warm house, even through fairly deep frosts.

Just as Mary was putting lunch in the oven, Popuri stopped by, her little grocery basket in hand. An unexpected flurry had kicked up, and so Jack was busy rushing the chickens inside. Mary answered the door. "Hey... Mary. I was just here to buy some apples and yams."

Mary had to refrain from giggling at her surprise. "That's really not necessary, Popuri. Jack set up a self-serve stand at the front of the farm. It's right where the doghouse used to be."

"Right." Popuri's whole face got as pink as her hair. "I can't believe I missed that! Ah, well. Tell Jack I said hi, then."

Mary nodded and smiled politely, then closed the door. She then ran to the window. Just as she suspected- Popuri didn't buy anything.

Jack came in shortly after with a handful of eggs and a pink nose. "How's the canning going, my love?"

"Pretty well," Mary practically purred, taking a hot chicken pot pie out the oven. The savory, creamy scent quickly filled the air, folding into the faint smell of wood smoke. "You wouldn't believe who stopped by to see you!"

"Lemme guess. Popuri."

Mary started laughing. She tended to tilt her head back and belly laugh, just like her dad, the sound of it low and mellow.

"What's so funny?" He couldn't help but grin. Once the hot pan of pot pie was safely set down, he came up behind her and wrapped her in his arms.

"She's got such a puppy-dog crush on you. It's really terrible of you to keep leading her on."

"Trust me, I don't! I'm actually kind of rude to her."

"I'm sorry," Mary lifted her glasses to wipe her eye, giving Jack a peck before turning away to get water glasses. "I don't mean to be mean. It's actually kind of funny how pathetic it is, though. It would be like me throwing a cucumber to the Kappa and then thinking, 'oh yeah, that little slimeball wants me!'" Her voice broke towards the end, and she started laughing anew.

Jack was reaching for plates to help her set the table when a though hit him. "Hey, what if it's the remnants of those stupid rumors from a week or two ago?"

"Come on, Jack," she chided gently, filling the glasses from a pitcher of cold water. "Those rumors were that you were _cheating _on me with her. They were never that you had any kind of feelings towards her."

He shrugged, setting down the plates and forks. "You never know, my love. Girls like Popuri, or really desperate _people _in general, you never know what they'll do, or what far-fetched reason they'll use to justify their actions." The two sat down in delightful anticipation.

"Is Popuri really that desperate?" Mary asked, cooling a forkful of pot pie. "That's so weird. Popuri was the girl everyone liked when were starting middle school."

Now it was Jack's turn to laugh. He'd already stuffed a couple heaping forkfuls into his face. He may or may not have burnt his tongue. Severely. "What?"

"Yes, believe it or not, Popuri was the it-girl then. Think about it! For young teenagers, super peppy, positive, confident girls are really desirable. Pick up almost any shoujo* and there will be at least one character like Popuri in it."

"So what happened when you all reached high school?"

"Then everybody liked Karen. You know," Mary's eyes became far-off, resembling her mother's coolness in a startling way, "She was adventurous. Karen was an alcoholic then, too, and she smoked pot and got in trouble all the time. Which means, in high school, Karen was about as cool as you could be."

"Whoa." Jack stopped a moment, trying to suck air around molten hot globs of chicken and potato. "Anyway, back to Popuri, yeah, I think she really is that desperate. She came to me right before the storm and starting having this little heart-to-heart I never consented to."

Mary giggled. She took a few bites of pot pie and nodded, thoroughly enjoying her own buttery, flaky crust. "She'll do that. Was it too private, or can I know what it was about?"

"Oh, something about Kai. She's finally caught onto the idea that he's probably not gonna stick around forever."

Mary nodded seriously. "That's probably hard for her to accept. She's liked him for years now."

"Yeah," Jack shrugged, "but at least she's young. Lost love hurts for a little while, and then you move on. I know it sounds callous, but it's true."

"Of course. But it's so different in the moment, you know?"

Jack nodded. They both sat quietly for a moment, enjoying lunch, until Jack started again, pointing a finger at his girlfriend. "You looked like your mom before. I've never seen you like that."

"Really? That's funny. Do I normally look like my dad to you?"

"Not particularly, but you have his mannerisms. Like you have a similar laugh, and your eyes are warm."

"So what'd I do before to remind you of my mom?"

"You got this half-lidded look, and you had this little flippant hand out, and you kinda tossed your hair like this." Jack imitated it to make her laugh, and smiled when she did.

"Sorry about that. I really didn't like school much."

"Why?"

"Well, for one, there was a long bus ride. There aren't enough kids in Mineral Town to teach, so we all got sent out on this little half-length school bus about an hour and a half away. Some people slept, some people did their homework, some people monkeyed around." She rolled her eyes nonchalantly. "But really, it was because I moved here right before we started middle school. My parents had always just let me be me."

Jack rested his chin in his hands, his elbows on the table. His eyes never left her face. "And how did that change?"

"Everything became a very black and white: girls do this, boys do that. It's cool to do this and it's not to do that. I thought it was really stupid. So I just did what I liked."

"Let me guess..."

Mary blushed, pausing behind her hand while she chewed another bite. "Yup, I was a reader then, too. It was much more interesting. Trust me, Jack, things haven't changed much around Mineral Town. Ann was still worried about being 'feminine' then. Gray was still shy and macho, Rick was still awkward and loud. The only thing to shake things up since has been you."

Jack looked away. "Aw, how so?"

"When news got out that a city guy was coming to live here, there were bets coming out about who he'd like. It was really petty, honestly. If it wasn't the girls themselves, it was their parents. Or at least, that was true in Doug's case. Karen and Popuri not-so-quietly assumed you would like them, because they had always been well-liked. Elli... believe it or not, I don't think I actually heard anything about Elli at all. But I think my mom started bragging about me once, and my dad asked her not to."

"Oh, I see. It broke up the couples of like the last ten years."

"No," Mary laughed. "You liked _me,_ of all people."

* * *

*Shoujo is a manga (japanese-style comic book) which is typically directed at girls, and are usually cute, with focuses on romance, drama, and humor. Outside of Japan, the most well-known example of this style is carried by the magazine, Shoujo Beat.


	11. Gathering at the Library

In the wintertime, the library was at its finest. It became of a hub of activity. The wives of Rose Square typically relocated to Anna and Basil's house, while many of the young adults, temporarily free from most outdoor chores, typically hung out on the second story. Occasionally Anna would surprise them with warm baked goods, and more often than not, Rick and Karen snuck in wine and beer. Sometimes Mary would even venture upstairs to join them, if they brought a solid red.

But the real reason Mary loved the library in the winter was its balance. She was usually alone on the first floor, or joined by some silent visitor studying away at the desk. Yet the ambient laughter and chatter from upstairs and next door was the perfect background. She never felt alone, and she was never crowded. _If only the library could be like this all year_, she often thought with a wistful sigh.

"Aw, Mary, you ok?" The petite librarian looked up. Who stood at the stairs' landing but Karen, feet shoulder width apart, her hand held jauntily on one hip. Her hair shined proudly over her slim, strong shoulders. Mary was consumed with jealousy and admiration.

"Oh, yes!" She popped up immediately, with a warm smile. "I was daydreaming again. Surprise, surprise! Do you need help finding anything?"

Karen glanced down at her ironically, suggesting that both women knew that no studying was taking place upstairs. Karen's voice was then inviting, and uncharacteristically soft. "I came to ask you to join us. It's important."

"Oh!" Mary's eyes were big. "Of course!"

"Is Jack here? He's not upstairs, and we wanted to have everybody here at once."

"No, but I'll get him." Cell phones were rare in Mineral Town, too expensive for the average villager, especially given how spotty the coverage was. But the town had recently invested in corded phones, running the telephone wires below ground to avoid damage during the seasonal storms. This was huge for a town of under 100 people.

Mary hurried back into her parents house and dialed Jack. He picked up at the end of the last ring, out of breath. "Hello?"

"Did you run for the phone?" She giggled. "It's Mary."

"Yeah, I did. I was coming back from shearing the sheep. Barely heard the phone ring. What's up?"

"Everybody's on the second floor of the library, and we want you to come over as soon as possible."

"Like how soon as possible?"

"Now, preferably."

"Oh. Ok. Yeah, I think I can do that." Jack wasn't good at hiding any expressions of surprise. "I'll be right there."

Mary bought him some time by bringing up a big platter of tarts, made with sour, lemon-like, uniquely smelling yuzu. Anna must have gone on a baking spree now that yuzu was in season. They were the best barely cooled, and it was difficult for Mary to save a few for Jack.

He arrived ten minutes later, pink in the cheeks, nose, and ears, and lightly bundled up. "Hey, what'd I miss!" Jack paused at the top of the stairs. There were nine other people there, and he couldn't help but feel that something was out of place. "Whoa, Doctor, are you in street clothes?"

Nine pairs of eyes turned on the doctor, sitting cross-legged on the floor. He waved his hand nonchalantly in a cat-like pawing motion. "This whole 'Doctor' thing is silly. We're not in my office! Call me Tim."

Everyone seemed a little torn at that moment. They were so unexpectedly excited to see the doctor in normal clothes and call him by name. But they were so disappointed that he was named Tim.

"Anyway, what are we here for?" Cliff began, his voice bright. "I see bottlenecks sticking out!"

Once he pointed them out, everyone peered at a small box sitting on the floor, packed with several bottles of wine. Rick laughed, tickled and embarrassed. "Well, I know you guys weren't expecting to see the doctor here on one of his office days, but he came with us after he told us the news." He looked to Karen, and took her hand.

She took the cue to speak up. "You guys haven't seen us around recently, and that's because I haven't been feeling like myself. That's why we went to the doctor today, when we found out that I'm about three months pregnant."

The room broke out into laughter, cheers, and applause.

"I was so worried that it was bad news!"

"Aw, congratulations!"

"When are you due?"

It took a little to process the different voices when they all spoke at once. Karen was rosy and beaming. "Late June. We're so happy to be having a summer baby!"

Mary went down to get more food from next door. When she explained to her parents, they overwhelmed her with food to share with the guests. Jack helped her carry up big platters of fruit, soft cheese, and crackers.

"What do you need for the baby?" Ann asked. "If we all chip in, it'll be a lot easier on both of you."

Rick and Karen looked at each other with lost expressions on their faces. "Wait, didn't your mom give you a list?"

"Oh, right!" Rick's hair fluffed up a little. He pulled a crinkled-up ball of paper out of his back pocket, carefully unfolding it until it was legible. "We'll pass this around. If you can help us with any of the things on here, sign your name and let us know how much of it you can handle."

The young adults scrambled playfully to get a good look at the list. It was a very simple, unambitious list of baby needs: cloth diapers, wipes, onesies, bottles, pacifiers, blankets, burp cloths.

"We're gonna need a ton of cloth diapers," Karen announced. "So anybody who can make things like onesies and blankets, please consider making a few cloth diapers, too."

While everyone was writing down their promised gifts, Jack approached Karen and Rick quietly. Mary barely noticed among all the excitement. They spoke briefly and quietly, and though Jack said little, Karen and Rick both seemed elated, gratefully shaking his hand. Jack seemed relieved. He rejoined Mary with a kiss, and the whole group enjoyed snacks and champagne.

Several bottles later, the happy parents-to-be and their guests left, most of them very tipsy. Jack and Mary walked arm-in-arm, supporting each other a little with each step. Mary cradled an unopened, leftover bottle under her free arm. The wine flush made her somewhat more straightforward. "What did you say to Rick and Karen?" She asked, when they were well out of earshot from the other couples.

"I offered to cover the price of whatever crib they wanted for the baby." His answer was so casual, Mary almost didn't think much of it. But then the expectant couple's faces came to mind.

"Would you have Gotz make it?"

"Yeah, exactly. He does good work."

Mary knew that Gotz charged an arm and a leg for lumber, and that his building projects weren't cheap. When Jack had asked him to build a new doghouse next to the stable, Gotz asked him for 20,000 gold, and that was without materials! A doghouse was roughly the size of a crib. That custom crib could very well be a gift worth 45,000 gold.

The young woman smiled to herself. She had known all along that she loved and was loved by a man who could give them both comfortable lives. But she was glad to learn that the same man would be generous with his wealth and humble despite it.


	12. Aid

A few days later, as the sun was starting to set, Minnie started racing between Mary and Jack and barking frantically. Mary was distressed to see her so panicked. "What's going on? Is she alright?"

"She's fine," Jack assured her, calmly if loudly over the loud barking. "Let's check the weather channel. She usually gets like this when there's a storm coming."

They hurried into the farmhouse and turned on the TV. It showed nothing but static. Mary's face turned white. Normally, the signal was only lost when a storm had already begun.

"Ok, this is bad. Really bad." Jack chewed his lower lip, his speech slowing as he turned the TV off again. "I need your help to get this place ready in time. We need to secure all the animals with double rations and put all the storm windows down."

"You showed me how to help the chickens. I'll take care of them."

"Thanks." He kissed her forehead and was about to run out the door when the phone rang. Jack picked up. "Hi, Mayor Thomas. Yes, we know a storm is coming. Yes, we're fine. Thank you for checking on us." Jack hung up, then they both headed outside to divide and conquer.

The animals were much more keenly aware of their surroundings. Minnie's barking had had a ripple effect, and even the chickens, who didn't immediately notice a drop in pressure, were feeling flighty. Mary had to chase them around the pen, and each one was a bit of a struggle to get inside. Once they were safe, she piled on double rations as Jack had said, made sure their water was full, and pulled down the storm windows. Then she locked the coop and staked down a protective tarp over the chicken fence, to prevent the stones from becoming projectiles.

The wind was rapidly picking up. Mary's braid started whipping her back, and she had to hold her glasses in place. It was a relief to enter barn, where the air was warm and still. She could see Jack in the far bay, moving fast to make sure each head of livestock would have plenty to eat. "Want me to pull down the storms?" She called, hoping to save him time.

"Please!" The cattle were lowing anxiously as the wind howled over the roof. Their only sheep, a diminutive little fellow named Checkmate, sought comfort by huddling up against the largest cow he could find. He hid his head under her udder like a calf. Mary smiled to herself as she went about sliding the regular windows up and the storm windows down. She felt a little better knowing that the animals had each other.

When they were done in the barn, all that was left to take care of was the horse, Jude, a dun, thickly built colt with a questionable temperament. "I don't know if it'll be safe for Minnie to stay in the stable with him through the storm," Jack shouted over the wind. "She can access her doghouse from the stable, though, so she can retreat to her own little space if she needs to."

Mary called Minnie, who was still barking and crying over the wind. She had to scruff the frantic mutt to move her at any speed, and held her firmly in place while Jack opened the stable. Jude was backed up against the back wall of the stable, his lips blowing out over and over again, a thin froth forming. The whites of his eyes were showing. Jack put up his hands and called to him in a soothing voice, "Hey, you ok, buddy? It's Jack. Good ol' Jack." He turned his head and said to Mary, "Could you put her in the doghouse please? There's a heavy sliding door to keep her in and the wind out."

"Got it." Mary was so glad at that moment Jack had moved and redesigned the doghouse, or Minnie would've had to stay in either the barn or the farmhouse, and stress them all out!

The new doghouse was big enough for Mary to walk into when she crouched. Minnie could walk a couple paces front to back, and could turn around with plenty of room from side to side. It was joined with the stable with a doggie door, should Minnie feel like paying Jude a visit. The roof was highest where it met the stable wall, and lowest on the far side, with a steep slope to prevent any build up of rain or snow. Most of the doghouse floor was covered with a big red-and-black plaid dog bed, with just a little bare space near the entrance. Each front corner out of the doorway had a large bowl in it, one for food and one for water. Each bowl had a small tank attached to the wall, which would refill the bowls when empty. Mary thought that these were the most ingenious; sometimes storms prevented anyone from going outside for several days, so this was necessary insurance against the sweet mutt going hungry.

Minnie was eventually persuaded to enter, and once she was, she dove onto her dog bed and under her green fleece blanket. She then proceeded to "hide" there, with her quivering bum and stub sticking out, until Mary closed the heavy sliding door.

Mary then turned around immediately to check on Jack. He was trying to soothe Jude, keeping his hands visible and his voice soft, but nothing was working. Jude hated storms. He kicked the back wall and it rang like thunder. Mary froze. She watched Jack reach slowly for Jude's halter, and she held her breath as Jude blew out his lips again. But fortunately, Jude was not a biter, and Jack was able to attach his halter to the wall with a small lead and clip.

Just as Jack let go to wipe his brow, the wind picked up and something banged on the roof. Jude startled to one side and slammed Jack against the wall with the broad side of his body. Mary stifled a scream with her hand. Jack grunted, immobilized for a moment. He then started smacking at the colt's muscular neck until he backed off. "Christ, you big baby. One of these days you're gonna kill me!" Jack huffed, patting off his work pants. "Come on, Mary, let's get inside!"

She watched dumbly as Jack shut and locked the stable door. He took her hand as a nasty sleet pelted diagonally on the rioting winds and pulled her along with him into the farmhouse. Once they were inside, soaking wet and freezing from the quick dart indoors, Jack firmly grasped each of her shoulders and looked her in the eye. "Are you ok?"

"That's what I was going to ask you." She looked at him with enormous, compassionate eyes, her glasses completely clouded with bits of sleet. They were so useless she had to look over them. Her hair clung to her head and streamlined the shape of her neck. Jack felt compelled to kiss her, but refrained.

"I'm gonna be sore, but that weird little body check Jude did doesn't hurt so much as it knocks the wind out of you."

Mary sighed in relief and smiled. She admired his high cheekbones, highlighted with pink chill, and the strong if severe outline of his face. She took the opportunity to kiss him. A little contented hum snuck out of him. "Why don't we dry off? I'll start a fire if you can make some tea."

"What about hot chocolate?" He asked. "I've been aching to use some of the old equipment your mom lent us."

Mary laughed as she grabbed the box of matches from the mantle. At this point in the murky season between fall and winter, there were always hot coals in the fireplace. This made starting a fire instant and easy. She threw on a fistful or two of kindling, and waited for it to catch. Then she added two logs widthwise for the first layer and two lengthwise for the second. "It's good stuff, isn't it? She was really eager to pawn it off on somebody, anyway, because there are new things she wanted to get, and she didn't have the space."

Jack set a small pot on the range over a low flame and used a mug to measure two servings of fresh milk. Then he set the double boiler over the pot so that the bottom sat in the milk. This is where he put chocolate to melt, before he came over to get Mary's jacket. "May I?" She chuckled, squirming out of her wet outer layers and handing them off. Jack hung up both of their wet coats on the rack by the door before returning to stir the milk. "Still, it was super nice of her to let me have it. She saved me a lot of money."

"Tell her that. She's got a ton of old stuff to get rid of." Mary crossed the floor to her nightstand, where she pulled out the smaller, upper drawer to get her comb. She sat on the bed to untie her braid and comb her long, black hair.

"I know, but I don't want to be greedy. I mean, I feel really lucky that your parents are so willing to help us."

"Well, we can't always expect them to give us things, per se, but family means helping one another. You should feel comfortable asking my parents for help, because they already are your family in a way."

Jack grinned, carefully lifting the double boiler and pouring and whisking the melted chocolate into the hot milk. He skillfully incorporated a little cream and vanilla extract. "You know, I can't tell you how happy that makes me." He rinsed off the whisk and directed his attention at another little bowl, where he added more cream and vanilla and started whisking away.

Mary looked at him pensively, her comb trailing slowly, stopping and gently working through each tangle. "Didn't your family help you?"

Jack looked up briefly. "They tried- in the beginning, at least."

"I don't understand."

"My family... rather, my parents couldn't understand that people excel in different ways. I mean, I sucked royally at school. I just didn't get school." He shrugged, still whisking away. "But I'm not stupid, you know?"

"Of course." She waited patiently, ultimately setting her comb aside. He seemed agitated. He didn't say much for a long time. When he was done whipping the cream, he poured two steaming mugs of a rich hot chocolate, topping each with a dollop of the homemade beauty. He handed one to Mary and took a seat beside her. He kissed her cheek.

"Thanks for not asking."

"You're welcome."

"I'll tell you with time, I promise."

"Only when you're ready." She patted his free hand. "And if you're never ready, that's ok."

"I love you, Mary."

"I love you, too, Jack."


	13. Intermission

Dear Readers,

I would like to thank everyone who's fully read this story so far, as well as everyone who's left me a review. To make the reviewing process more fulfilling for everyone, I wanted to show you guys more effective ways to leave positive and constructively critical reviews.

The majority of reviews I've received for this story and others have been "I like" reviews. I_ like this pairing. I like this setting. I like the character development. _But see, telling me what you like tells me about you, not about my story. If you want to tell someone about an aspect of a story that you think they did particularly well, I would recommend any of the following examples.

_You portray this couple as two relatable, deeply intertwined individuals; I found them deeply moving._

_The characters are so thoroughly developed, I can practically imagine my own conversations with them._

_The setting you used for the fight scene evoked all of my senses. I was practically there fighting alongside them._

Another important aspect of a review is being specific. By that, I really mean citation. For example, I recently received a review which mentioned potential out-of-character-ness. However, the author of that review didn't say where. This means that I'd have to guess where the story was potentially OOC, out of 12 chapters and 13,000 words [thus far]. That's just too much room for misunderstanding. This is what I would say.

_While your character development is for the most part thorough and highly detailed, I found Mary somewhat out of character in Chapter 11, when it was remarked that "Sometimes Mary would even venture upstairs to join them, if they brought a solid red."_

Next a reader of such a review would ask, "But how was Mary OOC?" I know that in my mind, I would tick through aspects of the canon and my own perspective of Mary to see why that might not jive with other people's perspectives. For example, Mary loves to receive gifts of wine in [M]FoMT. Therefore, as far as the canon is concerned, it is understandable that she might be persuaded with a little bottle of joy. Mary in my mind is also a quiet, reserved person who is social in particular ways for brief periods of time. According to my perspective of Mary, it makes sense that Mary is more social for a little while when the love of wine is a common factor between Mary and her company.

Essentially, you must tell the author why you feel the way you feel. You might say,

_In my opinion, Mary is too shy to join others in drinking. _OR

_In my opinion, Mary appears to be an introvert, so much so that even alcohol could not persuade her to be social. _OR

_In my opinion, Mary is kind of boring, and I can't see the other young characters hanging out with her._

It's important to remember that any judgement you make about a character (or pairing) at the end of the day is nothing but your own opinion. It may be the popular opinion. You might be able to refer to examples in the canon. But remember that each story shows a different perspective of the same medium. The examples you cite may be perceived differently by other people, including the author of the work.

This subjectivity is precisely why I ask you to be thorough in stating where and how. When you give me a citation and detail your thoughts on it, I may still disagree with you, but if nothing else I know exactly what you were referring to.

Thank you very much for reading this, as always. I hope you'll continue reading and reviewing to your hearts' content.


	14. Learning

That particular storm, the first of the newborn winter, was mostly wind. There was some snow, but the real danger was the unexpected frigidity. Forget a cold snap. Mineral Town's average temperature sank over the course of the storm to a record-breaking -26°F. For precisely this reason, Jack was worried sick over his animals. He could only hope he insulated the chicken coop thoroughly enough. His livestock, bred heartily from local strains, should have the instinct and the gathered fat to keep themselves warm, but he wouldn't know until they next opened the barn door.

Mary rolled over in the tiny twin-sized bed and touched noses with her boyfriend. Though Jack had started another fire when he first woke up an hour or so ago, the house had a lingering, frame-deep chill it had acquired overnight. So they were both dressed in serious pajamas: long pants, long nightshirts, heavy socks. Everything was fleece. They had the heavy flannel sheets on Jack's old bed, with his thin little comforter and a much thicker and warmer quilt Mary had brought from home.

"Good morning," Mary mumbled sweetly, half-awake. "How did you sleep?"

Jack smiled. He thought she looked cutest without her glasses on, when her hair was all messed up. "Eh... Alright. It's kinda tough to sleep in this bed together. But I'd probably be frozen solid by now if I slept on the floor."

"See? I'm really glad you slept up here. I was more worried about the wind."

"I know, but remember that this house is newly redone. Gotz did a built me a really sturdy home."

Mary yawned and propped herself up on one elbow. "That's true." She cocked her head to peer out the window. It was obscured by a thick lace of frost. "Do you think you can access the animals today?"

"I tried an hour ago when I got up. The door won't budge. Looks like you're stuck in here with me."

Mary laughed, adorable, yet sinister. "Oh, I'm not stuck in here with you. You're stuck in here with me." She then rolled onto him and bombarded him with kisses.

When they finally broke it up and had a light breakfast, they were stunned that it was still just 7 o'clock. They were kind of lost. Both of them loved their daily work. They almost didn't know what to do with themselves for an entire day home alone.

Thanks to the underground telephone wires, that dilemma was briefly solved, when Anna decided to check up on them. Mary picked up. "Hello?"

"Mary?"

"Hi, Mom," Mary smiled, making eye contact with Jack. Then she rolled her eyes. He giggled and slurped his tea. "Is everything ok?"

"Oh, yes. I just wanted to make sure you both weathered the storm alright. How did you two do? Hopefully no wind damage? Was the house warm?"

"We were perfectly fine, Mom. The house is really impeccably built."

"Oh, good. Well then, I've got a funny story to tell you. I didn't realize this until Manna told me..."

Jack watched Mary put the phone down on the table, pick up her tea, and drink it peacefully. She took one sip at a time and savored each one, sighing contentedly. When her tea was gone, she picked up the phone again.

"Can you believe that?"

"No! Only Manna."

"That's exactly what I thought! Anyway, Daddy wants to talk to you. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"If not, we'll talk." Mary nodded as if her mother could see it. "Bye, Mom."

"Bye, dear. Here's Daddy."

"Hi, Mary, sweetheart. How are you guys holding up?" Basil didn't sound like his chipper self.

"You ok, Dad? You sound kind of congested."

"Oh, I am, honey, but I'm fine. This happens every winter, you know."

"Of course, Dad. But please rest, ok? Last winter it got so bad..."

Jack was leafing through the bookshelf for something to do when Mary handed him the phone. "My dad wants to talk to you." He pleaded with his eyes, but it was too late.

"Jack?"

"Hello, Sir," Jack stammered. "How are you?"

"I'm good, Jack. A little under the weather, but ultimately good. Mary seems happy."

"Yeah, she looks happy, too."

"That's what I really wanted to hear." A muffled cough made its way through the phone. "How are you two doing? Do you need anything?"

"I think we're covered for now, thanks. The bed I ordered should be arriving any day after the storm ends. And we both wanted to thank you for all the kitchen supplies."

Basil gave a dry, craggy laugh. "No problem, Jack. We remember what it was like to start out. Ooh- looks like Anna's got breakfast on the table. That's my cue to hang up. Here's wishing you both the best, Jack."

"Thank you, Sir, you too. Bye." He hung the phone up on the wall a little left of the door and turned to look for Mary. He found her rummaging through a basket on top of her nightstand. Behind it stood a full-size sewing machine. "What are you doing?"

"We've got all day," she shrugged, smiling. "Why not make good on our promises to Rick and Karen?"

Jack chewed his lip. "What did you promise them?"

"I'm a quick stitch, so I took most of the sewn projects."

"I didn't know you could sew!" Jack sat down next to her. "Do you think- would you teach me how?"

Mary beamed. "I'd _love _to."

Jack carried the full-sized sewing machine to the table, and Mary brought the basket, bulging with yards of fabric. She taught him how to secure a threaded needle and gave him some scrap cloth to practice basic stitches. When he seemed comfortable, she took out a pattern that, to the untrained eye, was threatening in its complexity. "Whoa, what's that?"

"This tells me how to make cloth diapers. Sasha lent it to me, since my mom doesn't sew, and neither does Karen."

Jack watched her measure each piece twice, using little colorful beaded pins as place markers. She started up the machine, and then- after a frenzy of bobbing needles and whirring motors, she had a clearly defined new piece.

"It's a soaker," she declared proudly, holding it up so that he could just make out her smiling eyes over it. "This is the absorbent part of the diaper."

When Jack was growing up, he'd always hoped he'd be able to impress the girl of his dreams with his skills. At this point, he was a quick learner in agriculture and animal husbandry, but he had nothing cool and flashy to show for it like a mythic tool. Instead, he found himself ogling his girlfriend's ability to create something distinctly useful from a simple piece of fabric in mere minutes.

They sat contentedly, noshing, drinking tea, and sewing, for the better part of the day. Mary completed three cloth diapers. Jack completed one burping cloth. Then, around dinner time, Mary put the sewing machine away. She took Jack's hand. "Come on. We've made some real progress today. Why don't we relax now?"

"How do you wanna do that?" He squeezed her hand as he stood by her.

"Would you read to me by the fire? That's my favorite."

Jack grinned. "You pick the book."

Mary took the extra blanket out of storage and laid it on the ground, along with two pillows. One for Jack's butt, one for Mary's head. Once Jack was comfortable and the fire was roaring, Mary handed him a heavy book that smelled invitingly of yellowed pages. She then laid her head on a pillow in Jack's lap.

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife..."

* * *

Please note that if you want to leave a review, the review should be complete in its own right. That review is not expected to be part of a series of reviews, culminating in one ultimate review. It is, however, expected to be articulate and clear in and of itself. When you review a story, the author should be able to easily tell on which point(s) in the story the reviewer is commenting, as well as what reasons the reviewer had for their comments. Therefore, a good review does not need a PM to clarify it. Thank you. The end.


	15. One Day After Church

Hello, friends. Sorry for the delay. You'll notice that the people of Mineral Town refer to Carter as "Father", as people in a lot of Christian denominations refer to their pastors, reverends, and other spiritual leaders. I did this because I like this cultural tradition, and for that reason only. The end.

* * *

Once less violent weather returned, winter began to feel brief. Everyone's few daily chores were taken care of early. The idle pleasures that received so little time during the rest of the year became a staple. Reading, watching TV, lazy days in bed, and joyous afternoon congregations in the library defined the days of Mineral Town's young adults.

But about half way through the season, the annual secular fast began. Pantries all over the village were dwindling. The last in-ground crops were harvested, and people and livestock alike began to fall ill. Carter started making a lot of visits. People made more prayers every night, and attended church more and more often.

Carter took the pulpit one gray Wednesday morning, asking everyone to think of Ellen, who was home with pneumonia. Jack bowed his head where he sat next to Mary and her family. Carter announced that Jeff had recovered from a fever from which no one had expected him to recover. And that's when Jack thought to himself, with a mixture of curiosity and relief, _when is he going to start talking about the Goddess?_

The service lasted about two hours. It was about halfway through that Carter passed around a simple, ceramic bowl for donations to the sick people and their families suffering in Mineral Town. Jack waited, through a lot of singing and kneeling, in the dusty light of the warm, woody church. Afterwards, the congregation collectively took off towards the inn like a flock of birds, where they shared the homemade treats they could spare, along with copious amounts of hot tea provided by Doug. When they were alone, Jack approached Carter with a hefty donation for Ellen and her grandchildren, insisting that it remain anonymous. Carter blinked rapidly over his glassy eyes. His smooth, comforting voice broke over a wide smile. "Thank you, Jack."

Jack smiled. "It's OK, Father. Please don't cry."

Carter hugged him with all his strength. "Would you like to visit Ellen with me now? I won't be long. You'll be able to catch much of the fun at the inn afterwards."

"Of course, Father."

People in town were aware that Ellen was dying. She was in her mid-eighties, and had been without the use of her legs for at least five years. Her granddaughter worked 60 hours a week, and her grandson was only four years old. Although they loved Ellen and would miss her dearly, their real concern was that Elli would have to compromise her career to raise her brother, or otherwise that Stu would virtually be left to care for himself. Ellen had fought so hard to care for her grandchildren over the years, and her long-time neighbors didn't want to see her hard work go to waste.

Carter knocked on Ellen's door after their brisk stroll from the church. They heard Elli call for Stu, who answered the door. "Good morning, Stuart. May we come in? Jack is here to see your Grandma today."

"Hi, Father!" He peeped. "Yay, Jack is here!"

Jack chuckled. Carter elbowed him in good humor. "I come to visit and he's ho-hum. You come to visit and he's elated!"

"I know, Father. It must be because he spends so much time with you, you're kind of like..."

Carter's face relaxed for a moment, softening as he regarded Jack. He smiled. "I've thought the same thing before."

Ellen's chair stood in the middle of the room, vacant. The lady of the hour lay in a hospital-style bed nearby, which could be propped up or down as needed. Ellen was semi-conscious, her wispy hair thin and cloudlike atop her spotted, potato-like head. Her skin was translucent and her face was gaunt. The chipper, lovable elderly lady they knew suddenly seemed fragile.

On a short stool beside her sat Elli. Her eyes were red and swollen. She rose to meet her guests. "Hi, Father. Hi, Jack. You've come at a good time."

Stu stopped in his tracks, hiding behind Carter. "Sis? What happened?"

"I'm scared, honey," she admitted to her brother. "I think Grandma is dying."

Ellen licked her lips, sighing dreamily. "Archie came to me that evening with the Queen of the Night. It was like an Easter Lily, but it was radiant."

Carter's brow knitted together. "Ellen? Can you hear us?"

Elli bit her lip, trying and failing to hold back tears. "Grandma!" She cried, her voice breaking. "Grandma, please- stay!"

Perhaps it was only in Jack's mind, but he could have sworn that he saw Ellen's eyes glimmer, and perhaps even well with tears. She went on. "He was a good man. I miss him so much."

The grandmother closed her eyes. Elli squeezed her hand lightly, hoping against hope for a response. "Grandma!" She cried. "Grandma!"

Ellen smiled. She gave the faintest squeeze back, and exhaled one last time. Elli held her grandmother's frail, knobby hand to her face, and wailed. Stu grabbed the leg of Carter's trousers, sniffling and sobbing. The pastor knelt down and hugged the little boy. Jack bowed his head, holding his hat over his heart.


	16. Shared Responsibility

Carter made most of the arrangements for Ellen's funeral so Elli could take care of Stu and grieve. The lifelong resident of Mineral Town was buried next to her husband, and not far from her parents. The entire village came to pay respects at Ellen's house over the course of the next few weeks. People brought what they could: food when most pantries were bare, money needed to buy staples like rice and flour, and often the most precious of all, firewood.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, grief, and sudden responsibility, Elli turned once again to Carter. Even with everyone's donations, she didn't have enough time to attend to her duties as nurse and Stu's basic needs and wants. He looked up to Carter as a father, and Carter in turn had no family. The pastor's heart ached for her. But there were two people he needed to check with before he could say anything. First he went to confessional. Then he called Jack.

"Could you come to the church?" Carter asked, his voice strained. "It's important."

"Of course, Father. I'll be right there." When Jack hung up the phone, he glanced over at Mary, and saw how worried she was. "Please, my love, stay here. It's freezing outside, and I won't be long."

"I knew you'd say that," she sighed, grasping him tightly in a quick hug. "Do you think the wild dogs will come back?"

"If they do, I'm confident you'll protect the hens just fine. You know where to find the lockbox." He kissed her forehead and reached for his coat. "I'll be right back. Please, stay warm."

Jack braced himself against the bitter wind, trudging in just a few inches of hard, iced-over snow, all the way to the church. He swore the wind snickered when he tripped, and the trees gossiped overhead.

When he entered the dark church, lit only by the two candles at the altar, Jack was afraid that another villager had died. Elli rose from the first pew. Her face was swollen from days upon days of crying. She offered to get the pastor. A few knocks on the confessional door, and Carter emerged.

The first thing Carter did was embrace the young woman. "It's going to be ok," He insisted, holding her shoulders at arms length. Then he turned to Jack. "Thank you for coming. I wouldn't have disturbed you, but I wanted to get your permission before I did anything with your donation."

Elli looked to Jack in confusion. He looked down in embarrassment. "Carter, it was supposed to be anonymous."

"I know, but your intentions had been clear: give it to Elli, so that she can care for herself and for Stu. The reality is different, and I couldn't in clear conscience go on without consulting you."

Elli swallowed hard, but held her head up high. She struggled to keep her voice from breaking. "Jack, I'm touched. But I can't give my brother a good life, whether I go to work or stay home to raise him. If I stop working, I can't expect donations to sustain both of us. If I continue to work, I can't give him all the attention a child his age needs. That's why I asked Carter if he could care for my brother."

The farmer lifted his eyes to meet hers. He nodded. "You're in a really difficult situation. You need to do what's best for both of you."

Carter waited, listening to their brief exchange. Then he took up a pen and paper from the pulpit and approached them both. "If we can agree that this is best for all of us, let's be clear about what exactly this money is to be used for. In a way, this belongs to both of you, and to Stu. I want to do right by all three of you."

Together, the three of them huddled over the first pew, listing appropriate situations in which the money given to Carter could be used. It was a considerable donation, large enough to rebuild the church from floor to steeple. Jack had given it freely and without specifications; he felt that it was really up to Elli, as Ellen's heir. Elli in turn felt that, as Carter would be raising Stu, he should suggest what the money should be used for, and she and Jack would then deem it appropriate or not. Carter felt lost. He had never been married. He had never considered having children of his own. He knew nothing of being a father, or what would be required of him. All he knew was that he loved Stu like a son.

They came up with a long list of necessities, from which Carter could purchase anything without consulting Jack and Elli. They also came up with another list of conditionals. To buy anything from that list with Stu's money, Carter would have to get Jack and Elli's signatures. They agreed to keep communication between them all open, as they were sure they had forgotten something.

When they all felt satisfied, they wrote up two more copies, and each of them signed each copy. Then they left, a little emotionally and mentally drained, after hugs goodbye.

Hours later, Carter arrived once more at Ellen's house, the bearer of bad news yet again. His stomach ground itself to a paste as he waited for the door to open. He felt like a new father waiting for the baby to emerge from the mother's body. He sweated under his woolen scarf and coat. If his prayers were answered, perhaps he could make a good home for his new son.

Stu opened the door in his pajamas and rubbing his eyes. "Hi, Father. Why are you here so late?"

Elli came hurrying. "Stu, that's rude. You have to let people in first." She gestured for Carter to come in.

"It's really alright," the gentle pastor insisted, waving his right hand. "Is everything ready to go, or do you need help?"

"We're all set, Father." Elli rolled Stu's little suitcase across the floor to Carter. "I can't thank you enough."

"No problem at all. You can come by any time." He smiled reassuringly at her, taking the suitcase. "All we need is his coat."

"How could I forget!" The older sister hurried to take it down from the coat rack by the door. She helped him put his arms through the sleeves, zipped it up for him, and reminded him to keep his chin up as the zipper neared his neck. She ruffled his hair and covered his head in a wool cap. His little yellow mittens were connected by a thread, each to the correct pocket, to avoid being lost. Finally, Stu was wrapped up in a little plaid scarf, only his eyes visible from the waist up.

Carter extended his free hand to his new young charge. "Wonderful! Shall we?"

Stu looked plaintively at his sister. "But…"

"What is it, Stuart?"

"But it's bed time."

Carter composed himself before kneeling down to look the little boy in the eye. "It's still bed time, but you're coming to live with me."

"But I live _here_!" Stu stomped. "I live at Grandma's house!"

"I know, Stuart. But your Grandma passed away, and Elli has a lot of work to do."

"But Elli loves me!"

Carter glanced at Elli, seeing tears spring to her eyes. He looked firmly at Stu. "Of _course_ Elli loves you! But that doesn't change all that she has to do. It's time go, now."

"But I don't wanna go!"

As Stu's tantrum progressed, Carter found himself carrying Stu rather than holding his hand. He wished Elli well and departed through the snow.


	17. Plowing

The Year End and New Year festivals took place without incident. Most of the villagers ate themselves into food comas, and a few drank themselves to sleep. But more importantly, another long, difficult winter came to an end.

Assuming that Mary would need to devote a lot of time to the library and her writing, Jack approached the sprites to ask for their help. He bought each of them several sacks of flour. It was a way of saying to them, "Here's payment up-front. You can trust me to pay you again in the future." Apparently, the winter had been such that even the sprites had gone a little hungry. They were very grateful, and got to work the next day.

But to Jack's surprise, Mary seemed eager to work beside him. Jack was amazed. The initial plowing and planting was, in Jack's opinion, the absolute worst part of farming, because it was back-breaking work. But with Mary it became a challenge. It became an obstacle that they knew they could surmount if only they gave it their all together. It almost became… fun. The work was long and hard, but they talked and laughed until it became dark.

"Oh no," Mary gasped, when all was said and done, "did you feed the animals?"

"Taken care of," he grinned, both of them exhausted and shining with sweat. "It's supposed to be nice out tonight. Let's board Jude overnight in the livestock pen."

The previous spring, Jack had had no animals to tend to, so he hadn't yet learned to manage both plowing and caring for his herd. This was precisely why he had hired the sprites so early. Of course, Jack never told Mary about the sprites, because no one else could see them.

They guided Jude out to pasture, occasionally tugging the out-grown horse blanket back over the sturdy colt's flanks. He was released several paces beyond the fence, at which point Mary and Jack hurried back behind the safety of the gate, to watch him frolic and prance in the melting slush and stubbly young grass. They watched him kick and roll and race deep into the corners. "I'm gonna have to build up this fence," Jack thought aloud. "Soon he'll be big enough to jump it."

"Honestly, we'll probably have to expand the whole pasture. You built your herd so quickly, there's no way you can rotate in just this space."

"That's true. I'll have to draw up a plan. I'd like to start with a simple two-pen pasture, with the livestock in one pen for a few days, and the chickens in the other pen for a few days."

They began walking back towards the house together. Mary quickly scanned the farm for Minnie, and noticed her chasing a wild dog off the property. "Why would you put chickens in the livestock pen?"

"They'll eat all the little bugs and parasites out of the dung. The livestock don't get sick from the bugs, and the chickens eat well."

"That's equal parts gross and ingenious."

Jack was so tickled that he laughed and kissed her temple. "It's an old method. This way I don't need to use antibiotics regularly in my animals."

"Brilliant!" The little cogs in Mary's brain could practically be heard spinning. "I'll have to research this later."

"I can give you some of my own materials on it. But for tonight, please, just rest with me. We've done a lot of work today; we'll likely be sore tomorrow."

Mary agreed. They went inside the farmhouse, started a fire, and gathered the materials for a bath. Without a bathroom yet, a bath was considerably different than it was in a bathtub. It was important that the house was warm before either of them got wet. Mary got the simple metal basin out from under the bed, as well as a small pitcher and two clean towels. Jack filled a great big stock pot with water and put it on the range to get warm. Then when it was all ready they stripped down together and got into the basin.

With the stock pot resting on the floor beside them, Jack dipped the pitcher into the warm water and poured it gently over Mary's shoulders. She sighed in bliss. He reached for the soap and realized that he had forgotten it. He swore under his breath and went to get it, and realized upon standing up that he already had an erection. Mary looked up at him and smiled. "I'm sorry, I left the soap on the counter when I couldn't carry it all."

"No big deal, my love." He retrieved the small bottle and bar and hurried to get back to the warmth of the fireside. Mary was shivering, so he poured another pitcher of water over her. He wet his hands and rubbed the bar of soap between them until it lathered. Then he began to massage and wash her strong, small body. "Mary?"

"Hmm?" She hummed, utterly relaxed. The soap was scented with local pinkcat flowers, which resembled neroli.

Jack rubbed her back firmly, kneading the muscles between her shoulder blades. "Do you think you'll ever have children?"

"You know, I'm not sure."

"Do you think you'd ever have children with me?"

"Maybe- ooh, that's nice- I feel like there are a lot of things I could do with you that otherwise, I never would have done."

"Really?" He asked, as he scrubbed her arms and under them with a washcloth.

"Of course. Can I borrow the soap?"

"Sure." Mary got a little more water to wet her legs before sudsing them up. Jack used the lather still on his hands to wash her neck and breasts. "I'm so happy you feel that way. I was thinking of Stu the other day, and whether or not I'd ever have children of my own. I wanted to see if we were on the same page."

"Are we?" Mary got the pitcher and started pouring the warm water over her poor shivering boyfriend.

"Absolutely. I never really thought about it before, but I always assumed I would have a family someday."

Jack melted under the flow of the gloriously warm water. He hugged his knees as the water trickled over his head, shoulders, and back, leaving him cold again almost immediately. He heard the squirt of the shampoo bottle in Mary's hands, and soon found himself a state of speechless pleasure as she massaged his scalp.

"I used to assume as a little girl, too. But now I wonder if I can do everything I want- or even everything I need to do- with a family to care for."

"You mean your writing?" Jack peered over his shoulder, barely closing his eyes in time as Mary rinsed the shampoo out of his hair.

"Well there's that, and there's also the library. Nobody's going to want me bringing a screaming baby in there."

Much as Mary had done moments before, Jack lathered up the front of his torso, his genitals, and his legs. Then they both got a final rinse, and Mary got their towels. "But we'd be parents together. I could carry that screaming baby through most of my chores, and then you could care for it during chores that I can't carry it."

"Would you really do that?" She asked in shock as she reached for her comb. They took seats by the fire as she gently teased tangles out of her long hair.

"Of course. We'll be partners in parenthood as much as we're partners in love and work now."

Mary sat pensively on her heels for some time, her comb gliding slowly down the black river of her hair. "That would change the whole situation for me. Then maybe I could see having children as something enjoyable, something I do _with_ you."

"As opposed to _for_ me." Jack nodded, relishing the radiating heat of the fire on his back.

They fell into comfortable silence. When Mary was done combing her hair, she tied it up into a loose braid, and set her towel aside. She approached Jack with an inviting kiss, which began their slow lovemaking before the fire.


End file.
